Wednesday, July 20, 2005
ATHEISTS URGE THOROUGH SCRUTINY OF NEW BUSH SCOTUS NOMINEE
For more information, please contact:
Ellen Johnson, President (973) 625-6900
Dave Silverman, Communications Director (732) 648-9333
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 20, 2005
ATHEISTS URGE THOROUGH
SCRUTINY OF NEW BUSH SCOTUS NOMINEE
John G. Roberts argued against Separation while working
for presidential administrations
A national Atheist civil rights organization today called upon
the U.S. Senate to not "fast-track" the nomination of John G.
Roberts to a seat on the Supreme Court, citing "red flags"
over the prospective justice's position on state-church
separation.
"There isn't much to go on, which is why Bush may have
nominated John Roberts in the first place," said Ellen Johnson,
president of American Atheists. "But we have concerns over his
record as Deputy Solicitor General where he argued a position
that would have seriously eroded the application of the First
Amendment's establishment clause."
President Bush announced the nomination of Roberts to the
nation on Tuesday night. While he is believed to have broad
support on Capitol Hill, American Atheists and other advocacy
groups are already urging lawmakers to carefully scrutinize his
record and ascertain how he would perform if named to the U.S.
Supreme Court.
"Any nomination, particularly one that could someday reverse
decades of positive civil rights, state-church rulings needs a
thorough and considered hearing," said Johnson.
She cited Roberts' role as the co-author of two legal briefs
that would have permitted a greater role for religious
proselytizing in public schools. In LEE v. WEISMAN (1992)
where the high court struck down the practice of allowing paid
clergy to deliver invocations at high school graduation
ceremonies, Roberts argued that such activities should be
permitted. Another brief involved access for religious
groups to public school facilities.
"We need to know more about where Judge Roberts stands on the
important culture-war issues of the day," said Dave Silverman,
Communications Director for American Atheists. "It is
important that all Americans get a clear and accurate picture
on this nominee's position, and especially how this may affect
the separation of church and state."
American Atheists is a nationwide movement which defends the
civil rights of nonbelievers, works for the separation of
church and state, and addresses issues of First Amendment
public policy.
American Atheists, Inc.
P. O. Box 5733 Parsippany, NJ 07054-6733
Tel: (908) 276-7300 Fax: (973) 625-6901
